MOHAWK FIRST NATIONS LANGUAGE REVITALIZATION IN CANADA PRESENTED

MOHAWK FIRST NATIONS LANGUAGE REVITALIZATION IN CANADA PRESENTED BY SAMANTHA DEMEYER, CORINNE HAMILL, KAYLA MCELWEE, DEBORAH OBREGON, CELESTE PADILLA

CULTURAL DEMOGRAPHICS Mohawk nation encompasses 8 communities across Canada and the United States Mohawk part of Iroquois language family Focus of our research is on Kahnawake, 20 min away from urban center of Montreal, Quebec Mohawk Nation population 16, 200, Population in Kahnawake 7, 300 Montreal Population approximately 3, 800, 000

LANGUAGE DEMOGRAPHICS Language Majority Groups: English and French Language Minority Groups: Iroquois and Algonquian Language Families Linguistic position of Kahnawake children upon entering immersion schools 1950 s: most children spoke exclusively English 1970 s: there was a push to begin teaching Mohawk at a younger age before school Present: many children enter school with knowledge of Mohawk language “ It is not uncommon in Kahnawake to hear people conversing with their grandchildren in Mohawk, then switching to English to speak to their own children” Hoover, Michael. "The Revival of the Mohawk Language in Kahnawake. " Brandonu. N. p. , n. d. Web. 8 July 2013.

MOHAWK INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICES WITH CANADA'S REVITALIZATION PROGRAM Kindergarden-6 th grade: only Mohawk 7&8: 50% Mohawk and 50% English High School: 40% Mohawk and 60% English Students have are required to take one semester of Mohawk and one semester of Native Studies that is taught only Mohawk. Goal: to transmit the language and culture so they can continue the cultural way of life.

Mohawk Instructional Practices with Canada's Revitalization Program Kahnawake during the 1970's only 15 minutes of Mohawk was taught in elementary schools Bill 101 enacted many Mohawk books, pictures, resources become available to public. The public came together and created a program to teach Mohawk in school. Created a bond between the community

LANGUAGE, LITERACY AND CULTURAL GOALS Example: Akwenasene Freedom School (pre. K-8 immersion) pre. K-6 in Mohawk, English introduced in 7 th grade 50: 50 English and Mohawk helping with transition to public school Preservation of culture (stories, skills, art, history, way of life) Strengthen Mohawk Nation Raise up leaders by teaching the whole person Language learned by speaking then writing & reading

POLICY ISSUES FROM 17 TH CENTURY TO 1970 o In the 1970’s, a sharp policy shift from o Beginning in the mid-17 th Century § The Indian Residential Schools (IRS) educational system saw First Nations children taken to boarding schools to be “civilized, ” educated, and converted to Christianity. segregation toward integration increased the role of provinces and territories in the education of First Nations children. § 60% of First Nations students were attending provincial or territorial public schools. § Little accommodation was made for the educational needs of First Nations students, including respect for their languages, history and cultures.

POLICY ISSUES FROM 1970 TO 1990 In 1972, the National Indian Brotherhood manifested its vision for its education in a position paper entitled Indian Control of Indian Education. v The document set out an educational philosophy affirming the principles of First Nations local control of education. Throughout the 1970 s and into the 1980 s, the federal government embarked on transferring responsibility for on-reserve elementary and secondary education to First Nations.

Policy Issues: 1990 s to Now § 1999: Kahnawake Language Law “We are determined to remind the People of the importance of More than reviving, restoring, and perpetuating our language. ” Communication, education, ceremony, government, and business 2010: UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Canada originally opposed in 2007 Culture, identity, language, health, and education 2010: Mc. Ivor v. Canada 45, 000 more people will become entitled to registration If a part of the community, more likely to retain language, culture, etc. Mohawk continue to speak their traditional language (Abler 1996)

Policies Compared to the United States Educational/Language Policies Originally derived from the United States Has resulted in much language loss Indian Act of 1920 Defines who is an “Indian” Made attendance compulsory in residential schools Instruction in English-only

GROUP CONSENSUS Niawen’kó: wa (thank you very much)

REFERENCE LIST http: //www. parl. gc. ca/content/sen/committee/411/appa/rep 03 dec 11 -e. pdf http: //www. kahnawake. com/council/docs/Language. Law. pdf http: //www. un. org/esa/socdev/unpfii/documents/DRIPS_en. pdf http: //www. thecanadianencyclopedia. com/articles/mohawk http: //www. iroquoismuseum. org/mohawk. htm http: //www. kahnawakelonghouse. com/index. php? mid=2 <!--[endif]-->http: //www. autochtones. gouv. qc. ca/relations_autochtones/profils_nations/mohawks_en. htm http: //www 2. brandonu. ca/library/cjns/12. 2/hoover. pdf http: //www. afn. ca/index. php/en/policy-areas/education Hoover, Michael. "The Revival of the Mohawk Language in Kahnawake. " Brandonu. N. p. , n. d. Web. 8 July 2013 And of course: García, Ofelia, and Beardsmore Hugo. Baetens. Bilingual Education in the 21 st Century: A Global Perspective. Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell Pub. , 2009. Print.